


Today will be tomorrow's yesterday

by RedRaidingHood



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, X-Men AU - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-05
Updated: 2014-08-05
Packaged: 2018-02-11 21:09:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2083212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedRaidingHood/pseuds/RedRaidingHood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason and his team of X-Men come to help one of their own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Today will be tomorrow's yesterday

**Author's Note:**

> The X-Men have always been about a minority facing persecution and hate and stuff. They have superpowers. You don’t need to know more than that ;D

Jason had thought he’d never see this number on his phone again. He’d been certain of it. And still, there it was, the short little message, the cry for help and he hadn’t even hesitated for one second before assembling his team and driving off to meet his ex.

The town was eerily empty, the setting sun casting long shadows in the streets and the wind just picking up. It actually looked like a nice neighbourhood, a place where kids would play on the streets and mothers would hold book-clubs on their verandas – if it weren’t for the posters that read “Mutants out!” and other, hurtful words. As soon as the X-Men arrived, the whole suburb seemed to become vacated, soulless, only the odd face in the window and the hurriedly closed curtains spoke of the horrors these people expected.

“So where do we start?” Frank ran a hand through his crew cut, looking at Jason for directions, who in turn nudged the third member of their team.

“Any premonitions yet, Oracle?”

“Not yet, no,” Rachel answered, pulling her red hair into an unruly ponytail. At least nothing major would happen in the next two minutes – at least nothing Rachel could see. Jason still looked around warily. One could never be too sure in an environment like this, where mutants weren’t welcome.

“Right.” He closed his eyes, still seeing the afterimage of the anti-mutant posters and graffiti like a burn on the inside of his lids. They needed to find Nico and get him out of here. “Anyone seen a sign of the graveyard?”

Rachel shrugged her shoulders slightly miffed. She trusted Jason with her life, but she didn’t know this kid that they were here for, and anyone who had her leader wrapped around their little finger like that was automatically suspicious to her – for all of their sakes. “He should’ve told us about the mutant-hate here. Wouldn’t have come in my uniform if he had and we could, you know, actually _ask_ someone for directions.”

That earned her a good-natured laugh. “Well, he hasn’t,” Jason told her while walking up to the closest house. Always the optimistic leader, always hopeful and trusting even though it was pretty obvious they weren’t welcome in this street, their X-Men uniforms a dead giveaway of the gene that made them so different from humans.

The nametag read _Jones_ , so Jason internally prepared himself for a cheerful ‘ _Good day Mr./Mrs. Jones. My name is Jason Grace and I would like to know where the graveyard is, please?_ ' He really hoped that didn't sound suspicious or plain dumb; he wasn't all that good with words or panicked citizens. But the door never opened, instead, they heard the unmistakable sound of a rifle getting loaded from the upstairs window. “We don't like you degenerates here. Go away.”

Figures. Jason grit his teeth. This wasn’t quite the start he’d wanted. Raising his hands, he tried to appease the resident, taking a step back to try and get a glimpse of the man in the window. Mr. Jones looked old and wary, but the rifle in his hands didn’t waver; Jason had no delusions about their chances were the man to shoot. “I’m sorry, Mr. Jones, we’ll be gone soon. We just need to know where the graveyard is, and I swear we’ll be gone as soon as we’ve finished there, Mr. Jones,” he repeated the name, using the a tactic he’d seen some of their more negotiation-savvy members apply in similar situations.

“Oh, I can show you the way there, lad,” Mr. Jones snarled, his voice filled with a certain kind of mirth. “In a bodybag.”

Every mutant was accustomed of fear, there’s no denying that, but right now, the fear that gripped Jason wasn’t the usual ‘I fucked up and this’ll hurt’ kind of fear. He didn’t dare to turn around. There were eyes on him, whose owner he didn’t know and couldn’t see, but he didn’t dare to turn around. They really didn’t like mutants here.

“Thunderbolt,” Rachel warned. She put her hand on Jason’s arm carefully eyeing the upper levels of the house. “We should run. Now.”

“A premonition?” Frank asked behind them.

Rachel pursed her lips. “Call it a woman’s intuition.”

If the faces and weapons that appeared in the windows all along the street were any indication, she was right. She always was. The car wasn’t far away, but something inside his chest didn’t leave Jason with that option. He couldn’t run, couldn’t leave without Nico. He heard Frank inhale sharply, and sudden, panicking curses from the citizens.

“Guys,” Frank said. “You might want to turn around now.”

Mr. Jones was the first to shoot; the bullet zipping past Jason’s ear, connecting with a sickening thud behind him. Then Rachel and him turned together, coming face-to-face with a scene out of a bad horror-movie. Rachel grinned incredulously, her voice faltering. “Zombies.”

It would’ve seemed ridiculous, impossible, hadn’t he seen those creatures with his own two eyes; being actually about to feel the rotten flesh of a not-so-recently buried person against his skin and smelling the decay engulfing them, was something entirely else, something no one could be prepared for.

Adrenaline shot through Jason’s body, filling him with the giddy feeling he always got just before the fight, the tingling sensation of his powers, of the heightened electricity running through his nerves. He hardly heard Rachel over the sound of his own heart, pumping blood. “I take it we run?”

“We run,” Frank agreed, staring at the mass of zombie actually coming closer – fast. A lot faster than the clumsy things he’d seen in horror-movies so often. Thus, fast and mostly unexpected, Jason didn’t see it coming, when the first zombie plunged forward, it’s bony fist connecting with his jaw, throwing him back stumbling against Mr. Jones’ door. Another bullet actually drove his attacker back, not that Mr. Jones and his neighbours would mind any of them getting caught in the crossfire.

Jason propped himself against the door, wiping the blood from his mouth. He’d bitten his tongue like a rookie. Great.

Rachel and Frank flattened themselves against the house beside him, looking expectant.

His heartbeat still thundered fast with the adrenaline running through his body, but so were his powers, electricity quickening his reflexes, sharpening his thought process. Their attackers were zombies, faster than them, stronger than them and much, much uglier than them. And most of all, they were Nico’s minions. Jason _knew_ , he had never seen his ex actually use his powers like that, but it _had_ to be Nico – so why were they attacking them?

It didn’t matter. He would just ask Nico later, right now, he needed to keep his team safe – something these armed citizens wouldn’t help him with. There was no chance to outrun them anymore, neither could they avoid being encircled; it was time to show off.

“We fight,” he concluded, not even sure his teammates could hear him.

Summoning lightning to his hands was easy, was the first thing he’d been able to do; it was like breathing. The zombie that had hit him had his attention on Frank who was shifting into a bear, his preferred fighting form. Time for a little payback. Jason channelled his power, his arm tingling with the familiar feeling of electric sparks running through his nerves, then crossing to the next body when he stepped away from the door, into arms-reach and zapped the zombie.

Allowing himself a moment of triumph, Jason grinned – for a second, because these zombie weren’t playing fair. They didn’t come at him one at a time and instead threw themselves at him and each other recklessly, hardly hindered by the screaming and shooting citizens. The first stumbled into him, nearly forcing him to his knees. He lost sight of Rachel, who was levitating an ugly garden gnome, whacking one of the creatures in its face repeatedly, when a sudden impact shoved him against another zombie from behind.

Chaos exploded all around him. Bullets flying, humans screaming and the whole graveyard up and about on this suburban street. The next two creatures did it, Jason couldn’t bear the added weight as the hung themselves over him and he dropped to the ground on hand and feet, his breath coming in shallow, fast gasps. Jason wasn’t claustrophobic, but being buried by living dead wasn’t his favourite past-time.

He needed to get them off before panic seized him; Frank could change into something intimidating, but his strength didn’t really increase, and Rachel wasn’t fit for battle either, her powers based on her mind rather than brute force. He needed to get those smelling bodies off him, needed to get to his team, _they needed him, he was the fighter and right now, he could really use some super strength._

“Thunderbolt!” Rachel shrieked, using his alias. She was panicking, losing sight of her leader in battle and pretty much defenceless herself.

_Think_ , Jason scolded himself internally, gritting his teeth and yanking angrily at the rags the zombie on his back wore. _You want them off, just blow them off!_

Thunderbolt wasn’t his name for nothing. The air sizzled and smelled metallic, tasted metallic even; the static raising hairs and clothes alike. Then came the crack, the sound of a thunderbolt clapping, the point of impact being none other than Jason – and the zombies on his body. They practically flew off, smelling like bacon.

A smirk tugged at Jason’s lips as he licked them, the wonderful tingling of static on his skin, the great taste and the overall feeling of raw power. That’s what it felt to be alive.

The next of the living dead was on him in a matter of seconds, but Jason was prepared; he sidestepped his attacker, shoving him over his hip and going on to the next, not giving them time to huddle up again, always moving. Rachel did her best to keep her opponents at bay with her telekinesis, while Frank did the best he humanly could, shifting into smaller or bigger forms as needed. They did great, but Jason knew they wouldn’t last long; they needed a plan, time to regroup, they needed to get away. - And not the neighbourhood watch group turning up with pitchforks and rifles shooting at everything that moved. Another bullet zipped past him, too close for comfort.

“This is getting out of hand, Thunderbolt.” Frank managed to thread through the chaos as a cat, emerging at Jason’s side and shifting to keep his leader’s back safe as a bear again. “We should really leave now.”

Any other time, Jason would’ve laughed. Yes, they should leave; actually, they should have left the moment Rachel had suggested to run the first time, but they really didn’t have a choice anymore. There was nowhere to run.

“Over here.”

Jason’s heart skipped a beat. He knew that voice. He turned, the chaos all around him becoming nothing more than blurred movements and dull sounds when he met those dark eyes he hadn’t seen for a long time.

“Trust me,” Nico said, standing there in the middle of the street, not heeded by anyone else. Jason just nodded dumbfounded, his mouth open and his eyes wide and his heart beating in his ears.

Nico reached out to him, his shadow warping and curving under him, becoming fine tendrils that surged forward fast, piercing Jason’s own shadow. Everything went cold then. Cold and pressured like he’d been plunged into deep waters; the air being pushed out of his lungs, burning just for a second, his eyes being left with nothing but miles of darkness until he resurfaced with a gasp, his heart beating fast and his whole body shaking. And Nico’s eyes still on him.

Frank and Rachel fell to the ground beside him, wheezing and shocked. But alive. They were all alive and breathing and no longer on the street with the zombies, rather in a small room, looking like the entrance of a holiday home.

Nico grinned at him, pushing a strand of his unruly hair behind a ear. “Hi,” he greeted.

“Hey.” Jason’s heart still beat fast, but this time, it wasn’t accompanied by cold fear, rather then another familiar, warm feeling.

“I’m glad you came.”

And so was Jason. Nico looked good, confident in a way he hadn’t been when they were dating and this realization cut Jason like a knife. Ignoring the sudden pain he eyed his teammates. Nico wasn’t his anymore. He wasn’t entitled to feel bad like that.

Rachel and Frank were on their feet again, watching them warily and still a little bewildered and beat-up by the events from not even a minute ago.

“Guys, this is Nico,” Jason gestured towards the boy with an easy smile. “Nico, those are Oracle and Changeling.”

Nico blinked before blushing and walking past Jason with wide eyes. “You’re Oracle? The _Oracle_? I’ve heard so much of you! I’m a big fan.”

Rachel was getting as red as her hair, laughing sheepishly and shaking Nico’s hand. “It’s nothing. I can’t really do much in a fight – as you have seen.”

Jason crossed his arms. He wasn’t entitled to jealousy anymore either.

Rachel’s face fell and she let go of Nico’s hand like it had burned her. “But you. Those zombies felt the same as you do. Did you summon them? Did you tell them to attack us?”

Nico cringed and took a step back. “Yes,” he mumbled, not meeting Rachel’s eye. “And no. I kind of – I kind of don’t know what I’m doing with that one.” His voice cracked at the end, and all three of them actually understood: Nico couldn’t fully control his powers. Stuff like that happened all the time. Rachel frowned when she remembered her own stupid actions, when she had invaded her father’s mind, had made books and pencils fly in school and had cried herself to sleep over her premonitions. At least she didn’t have to face the hate Frank had to live with before becoming an X-Man.

“You think they still terrorize those people now?” The shapeshifter asked gruffly. It had been hard for him to forgive the humans, to not work against them and see himself as something better – like some mutants did. Even now he wasn’t so sure what he wanted Nico to answer. Those people hadn’t been all that friendly… on the other hand, they had seen their dead and beloved walk the streets again…

Nico crossed his arms in front of his chest like he was hugging himself. “They die again.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “They only live for a few hours. Those people should be fine.”

“Anyway,” Jason’s voice finally cut the increasingly uncomfortable air. “How about we go sit down or something?” He looked to Nico, their host. “Let’s not stand around the entrance the whole day, ok?”

The others followed his suggestion gladly and soon, they sat in a small living room while Nico got them coffee from the kitchen.

“So that’s Nico,” Rachel started. “How do you know him, Jay?”

Frank sat up, apparently just as interested in the whole backstory too. It wasn’t like Jason hadn’t told them anything, but when Nico messaged him, asked him to come because he needed help, Jason hadn’t really thought of anything else but getting there as fast as he could.

Leaning back, Jason put his arms over the back of the couch he was sitting on. “I told you he’s my ex from high school, right?”

Frank nodded, his eyes darting towards the kitchen were Nico was still rummaging about. “You didn’t have your powers then, did you?”

“No,” Jason admitted. “But he had. Well, some of them at least.” He closed his eyes and smiled, remembering the few occasions Nico had nearly given him a heart-attack by walking through walls. “It was more of a ghost-thing rather than a zombie-thing by then. Got shit for talking to himself a lot, although he later told me he was talking to ghosts. Not zombies.”

“Don’t like the new addition?” Nico quipped, putting a tray with mugs and cookies on the table in front of them.

The X-Men sat up startled, but laughed good-natured anyway. “How did you do that? I didn’t notice you at all.” Frank looked him up and down incredulous. Being able to shift into pretty much any animal seemed to give him senses a little keener than normal, but Nico hadn’t been on his radar at all, no matter how careful he’d been, watching the open kitchen-door.

“Comes naturally, I think. Jason, three spoons of sugar, right?”

“You still remember?” Jason leaned forward grinning and taking the cup Nico offered him. Their eyes locked and he was sure he didn’t imagine the mischievous twinkle in those dark irises.

“Heretic,” Nico hissed, giving him a fond smile before turning to the other two. “I don’t know how you like your coffee, so please feel free to add whatever you like. I have milk in the fridge if you need it?”

Nico sat opposite them on a chair, cradling his own mug, watching them get their coffee and sugar. Normally, Frank would’ve asked for milk, but this time, he didn’t. It hurt his pride a little how easily the other mutant had been able to come so close unnoticed and Frank wasn’t a sucker for humiliation; it was his job to keep the team aware of their surroundings.

“So.” Rachel nipped her coffee, and closed her eyes, probably probing around with her own powers. “Jason here said you needed help?”

Nico snarled and looked into his coffee intently. “Right. The zombie-thing’s new.” His voice wavered a little and his knuckles turned white when he gripped his mug firmer. “Before that it had only been ghosts.”

“So how long?” Rachel gave him a friendly smile, trying to reassure him and keep him talking.

“Not that long, a month maybe and … I can talk to them, too, you know? They’re nice to me and talk to me and most of them don’t care that I’m-,” he cut himself off.

“A mutant,” Frank finished for him.

Nico nodded bitterly, his shoulders hunching up. “Anyway. I can’t control them – as you had to witness.” He cringed when his gaze settled on Jason’s jaw where a dark bruise bloomed from when one of the creatures had hit him.

Frank felt for him; everyone stressed out when their powers first manifested, but this kid had been unable to really get a grip on a completely new range of his powers, having to see the humans around him panic too, because of him. He feared the strange changes that happened to his life himself and that was never easy; more so when you were alone.

He smiled warmly. “You know, we’re too. Mutants, that is,” he clarified softly. “You’re not alone.”

He got a grunt in return, Nico’s shoulders obviously relaxing though.

“That’s why I asked Jason to come. I know about you guys. It’s not like the X-Men are never in the news or anything.” A humourless smile appeared on his young face. “I know what being a mutant is like and I know you guys run around the country to safe humans from us. - If we misuse our powers.”

“Well, that too,” Frank conceded. He wasn’t getting any good vibes here; he had been the same though. He had been bitter and angry at the X-Men at first too. Why hadn’t they come sooner? Why hadn’t they come to him when his powers manifested and his friends started to fear and bully and manipulate him? When the only friend he’d still had, abused their friendship, Frank’s trust for his own, personal gain; when he’d made Frank do all those things, had made him shift into older persons to get alcohol or adult movies, had made him shift into class mates to humiliate them, had made him shift into a stunning girl, so the other boys would envy him his ‘girlfriend’…

Frank gulped, swallowing the resurfacing memories and turned the mug in his hands. “But there’s more to that.” He looked Nico in the eye; the boy needed to understand and Frank would’ve been glad someone had told him when he had hit rock bottom. “We’re here because we care. We fight for freedom and the chance to coexist peacefully. Unity and freedom for everyone, mutants and humans alike. That’s why we came for you, because we want to give you that. Because we want you to be able to have a normal life and learn to control your powers at the same time – because that is what ‘normal’ is. We’re not un-normal, unnatural, and we deserve our freedom.”

“Huh,” Nico hummed unimpressed, the mug pressed to his lips, his eyes on the dark beverage.

Frank deflated. Nico hadn’t gotten anything he’d just said. Maybe he was still bad at talking, maybe that’s why Jason was their leader and not him, but he’d really hoped… he had felt somehow close to Nico, had gone through the same bitterness, but the boy… stubbornly ignored everything he’d said.

He grit his teeth and looked outside the window, his grip on the mug loosening. It always hurt when he offered his help and was refused; Frank still thought he understood Nico’s behaviour though. He himself had been wary and doubtful at first; Nico would soon understand that they were on his side. Frank took a deep breath, letting go of all these negative feelings. When Nico would finally understand, he’d say it again. All of that. Frank wouldn’t give up on Nico, no. He had been through the same, all mutants had, and Frank knew it was his duty to do what he could for his fellow mutants. That’s what they were here for, that’s what the X-Men stood for; not for protecting humans from corrupted mutants, but for mutants to be able trust again.

“You don’t believe him?” Rachel apparently didn’t want to let the topic go, but her eyes seemed unfocused, like she was doing two things at once.

Nico took a deep gulp and put his mug down on the tray again. “I _know_ all that.” He put his feet on the table and crossed his arms, looking at her like the question had been a challenge. “I’m not humbled by my X-gene. I’m a mutant and I’m fucking proud of that. It’s not like it’s my fault those humans are weak.”

The following silence was awkward and Frank was glad he still had some coffee left to busy himself with while Nico and Rachel stared at each other.

“You were asking for help. What is it you want from us?” She finally grit out, but Jason put a hand on her shoulder anyway, pulling her back from where she had leaned forward aggressively, almost touching Nico’s shoes on the small table.

“I think we should all calm down,” he spoke, nodding at his teammate when she calmed down and let herself fall against the soft cushions of the couch, sulking. Then he turned his gaze on Nico. “How about we sleep over this and discuss it tomorrow? It’s been a long journey here and fighting your zombie-friends wasn’t that relaxing either.” He winked at Nico good-natured and was rewarded with a small, satisfying blush.

-

Jason lay flat on the bed, his eyes closed and his hands under his head. Today had been a bit much, it had all happened too fast and this was the first minute he finally had to himself again. Normally, their missions went smoother. Seldom would they have to flee from humans like that anymore; they would go to where they were needed and tried to talk to the mutant and/or their parents and all that before doing anything really. This time, the citizens had wanted them gone from the beginning, then the zombie attacked them, resulting in the agitated citizens panicking and arming themselves. And then Nico.

Jason sighed, he wasn’t over Nico, had never been; it had hurt so much to wake up to a message that told him it was over and that they wouldn’t see each other again. Nico had ran away just before graduation, just before Jason’s own powers had manifested themselves.

But apparently, Nico had kept his number. Something hadn’t allowed him to erase Jason from his life completely, and that gave him hope. Maybe it was foolish, maybe it was wrong, but it made him happy nevertheless. Whatever had prompted Nico to leave might not have been a lack of love after all, rather than… something else. Something out of Nico’s hands. He really wanted to believe that.

A knock on the door tore him from his thoughts and a smile settled on his face when Nico let himself in without waiting for an answer, just like he had always been doing all this time ago.

“This is _your_ house isn’t it? Shouldn’t you be able to find your own room?”

Nico rolled his eyes at him, and waved his hands about irritatedly, not finding any words. “Just… Scoot over, will you?”

Jason sat up, laughing when Nico let himself fall down beside him. Nico leaned back on his arms, studying Jason for a moment. “Thanks I guess.”

And it was just so simple. They were close, their knees touching and none of them cared. Jason’s face grew warm, and he didn’t care about that either. He regarded Nico with a fond look, shoving their shoulders together softly. “What for?”

Nico arched an eyebrow but smiled nonetheless. “I don’t know. A lot. Stuff from then. And well, for coming today, probably.”

This was easy, simple, like nothing had ever happened between them, and Jason hoped with all his heart that Nico felt the same. He smiled, wrapping an arm around Nico’s shoulder, effectively hugging him. “Welcome home, Nico.”

“’Home’, eh?”

Jason nodded. “Home.”

He thought about it, thought about kissing Nico then and there. Maybe he was lucky, maybe he didn’t misinterpret Nico’s signals and maybe, just maybe - he dared to hope – maybe this time, Nico would stay. The thought made Jason squeeze his shoulder and hug the other a little closer, when a soft hum encouraged him to lean his head on Nico’s. This was nice. Really nice and apparently, Nico actually thought so too. Jason started to grin like an idiot, the urge to laugh loudly bubbling up in his chest. This whole mission was so unreal, but it made him so stupidly happy – how could all of this be a coincidence?

“Home sounds good,” Nico mumbled, turning his face into Jason’s shoulder. “Only us. Only mutants and no one being afraid of me anymore.”

His breath was warm even through Jason’s clothes, and he enjoyed their closeness maybe a bit more than appropriate, but that was exactly how they had been, as if nothing had changed, so Jason just nodded happily. Until Nico sat up abruptly, a distant look in his eyes.

“I don’t want to hurt anyone, Jason.”

A cold shiver ran down Jason’s spine. “Nico, you don’t need to hurt anyone-”

“But I will!” Nico insisted with a sudden intensity that made Jason sit up straight, the happiness being replaced by something else. Curiosity. Confusion. Dread.

“I will,” Nico repeated. “I won’t pretend I’m as weak as them, Jason.”

“What… What are you talking about?”

Nico looked like a deer caught in the headlights just before looking Jason in the eye and doubling over, laughing. Jason shook his head and joined him soon, the tension slipping away again as fast as it had come.

“I’m sorry,” Nico told him grinning. “I’m just… This is really strange and new and I have lots of conflicting feelings and I really don’t know what I’m doing here.”

All Jason wanted to do, was to hold him again, to soothe all those nerves that made Nico be on edge like this, so he did just that. He gathered the boy in his arms again, slowly rocking them back and forth. It was only natural Nico would feel confused and act strange; everyone would in his situation. Jason knew he would at least. And he was glad Nico wanted him to be here and let Jason hold him.

Nico took a deep breath, seemingly calming down. He looked up to meet Jason’s gaze, raising his hand to run his knuckles along Jason’s jaw. Nico’s eyes were filled with something endearing, something Jason did not yet dare to interpret as love. “Jason. I’m sorry. I wish you would have found me sooner.”

He blinked when Nico disentangled himself from their embrace and stood up. “What?”

Nico had already opened the door when he turned to look back over his shoulder, smiling a little wistfully. “Good night, Thunderdolt.”

-

So apparently, Jason and Nico were still close somehow. Close enough that he’d let Jason cuddle him and had calmed down and still… Jason felt eerily empty. It felt just like it had when Nico hadn’t come to school the first week; the certain expectation that he’d come back, while at the same time, not knowing what he’d done to chase the boy away, not knowing what he did wrong. Jason grabbed the blanket, throwing it over his head and burrowing his face in the pillow. It felt wrong and he didn’t like it at all. He just wanted Nico back; was he asking for too much?

Breathing in deep, he let the darkness around calm him down for a moment, just a moment before he had to resurface and face the world where he was Thunderbolt, the leader of his team of X-Men who had promised to help an old friend to get a grip on his new powers. That’s it, that’s what he was and nothing else mattered. It didn’t matter that his old crush hadn’t faded over the years at all. It didn’t matter that he had no idea how to deal with this.

Downstairs, the front door almost literally exploded into a million tiny splinters.

Jason was on his feet in an instant, training kicking in, his powers already flooding his nerves. He stormed down the floor, only slowing down when Frank opened the door to his room, both of them exchanging a look before Jason went on, leaving his teammate to gather Rachel and Nico. Whatever happened down there, it couldn’t be good. Not today.

He jumped the last steps of the stairs, turning a corner and abruptly stopping in his tracks when he heard the thud of boots on the hardwood floor. Only years of training and fighting, made him take the needed breath, at least trying to calm down, sparks already dancing between his fingertips. The footsteps echoed in the small hall, the sound returning, accompanied by a soft whisper this time.

“Now, let’s see…” Another sound, another person. “How long until they finally grow the balls to come down?”

Jason grit his teeth, the scene getting clear to him. Mariner. This was Mariner and his stupid Brotherhood posse. This couldn’t be good; he could take the other mutant on one-on-one, but it was unlikely Mariner was alone. They hated humans. They thought themselves superior to them, the next step in evolution; the only ones worthy to inhibit the world, willing to accept the extinction of the humans in favour of the mutant race. Jason hated them, and the feeling was mutual.

“I think it’s time to come out of hiding, Thunderbolt.”

Shit, of course it would be her. If there was one person, Jason didn’t want to fight alongside Mariner, it was her, Knightowl. Her powers allowed her to suppress the abilities of other mutants and she was undeniably too smart for her own good.

He ran his thumb along the tips of his fingers, the sparks connecting the digits in thin, crackling threads. There was no need for subtlety anymore, now it was only a question of who would strike first; him, or those mutant supremacists.

He jumped, electricity putting a strain on his muscles he’d feel later, but right now, it would allow him to startle even Knighowl. Jason didn’t take the time to look around the small living room he’d sat in earlier with Nico and his teammates; he pushed his arms forward, explosively opening his hands and sending twin balls of lightning flying.

Knightowl wasn’t fast enough to avoid the attack, but Mariner was. He dove in, an excited smile on his lips, hands up and ready to fight.

They exchanged blows instead of words, with a frequency that left Jason at a disadvantage. Mariner was faster than him, his movements fluid and building momentum before connecting. Then came the water. Knightowl had run to the kitchen, opening the tab and was now twirling her dagger in her hands smugly.

“So, how have you been doing, Thunderbolt?”

“Oh, just peachy.” Jason grit his teeth, never once looking away from Mariner’s eyes. They were mocking him, the water from the tab meandering over the floor like a liquid snake. He didn’t dare to think of what he’d do once he’d feel the cold wetness against his bare feet; it would be too late by then. Knightowl always used some kind of lightning rod against him. Always. And Jason had yet to come up with a good counter measure; he needed to act now if at all. Still his muscles already ached, the pain now no longer dulled by the need to move since Mariner backed off.

“Thunderbolt, what’s going on here?”

_Nico._

It took all his willpower not to turn around to where Nico’s voice had come and fear gripped his heart when he saw Mariner’s eyes lit up gleefully.

“Oh, good, we’ve been waiting for you, Di Angelo. You’re not running this time?”

Jason blinked. Whatever this was, whatever happened between Nico and the Brotherhood, he would have to find out later; a small wave surged against his heel. No more lighting then – if he didn’t move fast enough to sever the connection.

He jumped forward, tackling Mariner and shoving him against the back of the couch. Behind them, both Nico and Knightowl seemed to move too, a cluster of noise and emotions assaulting Jason; and it was over too soon, way too soon.

A wet noise and the grin on Mariner’s lips. He didn’t move anymore, didn’t move to defend himself, just stood there gloating, hissing right in Jason’s face. “Game over, Thunderdolt.”

A cold hand closed around Jason’s heart and squeezed. Hard.

“Turn around,” Mariner instructed him cruelly and Jason obeyed for once right in time to see Nico go down, clutching his throat, blood seeping though his fingers.

Jason didn’t realize he was screaming; he couldn’t remember how he closed the distance between them, but the next moment, he held Nico in his arms, fumbling to stop the gushing blood where Knightowl’s dagger had cut expertly.

Nico couldn’t speak, gasping for breath just before his eyes rolled back and he stopped moving.

-

Rachel’s head rolled to her shoulder. Her memories were coming back slowly even before she opened her eyes. Frank had stormed along the hallway, dragging her from her room to Nico’s were the boy had told them about his pursuers, about the Brotherhood that wanted his powers although he’d declined. Cold anger boiled in her stomach, only increasing the nauseous feeling. Her head throbbed and the shackles on her arms were sure to leave bruises.

Her eyelids seemed to be glued together when she forced her eyes to open. At first, she could only make out a few blurred shapes, her anger directed against herself and she blinked rapidly, squeezing her eyes a few times to get a grip on reality again. She had been hit on the head, she remembered, rendering her unconscious.

Rachel focused on one of the figures in the room, she had blonde hair, pulled into a ponytail through the back of a base-cap. Knightowl. Something seemed to click inside Rachel’s head, but she didn’t have time to mull over it. Wherever Knightowl was, Mariner wasn’t far. In fact, he was standing beside her, his hands on his hips, grinning smugly at the other figures that were trudging through the room. Zombies, Rachel realized, her gaze settling on the third figure next to Knightowl and Mariner with a dreadful realization.

All seemed so clear now, the reason why she hadn’t been able to read Nico’s thoughts, none other than Knightowl nullifying her powers. And Frank, stupid, good-natured Frank, who had taken Nico’s form to go down and hold his pursuers off long enough for him and Rachel to run.

“That was quite a show, glad that went so smooth. I’d hate to waste this chance,” Knightowl said, nudging Mariner with her hip. He laughed and put a hand on Nico’s shoulder.

“She’s right, you know? Good job.”

Nico smiled, not moving away from them. “Thanks, Percy.” he replied and Rachel felt sick. “It was pretty easy actually. They were gullible enough.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!   
> Feel free to comment and/or criticize <3


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